Fabric-stretcher.



PATENTED JUNE 9, 1908.

E. KRAHNSTVER. FABRIC SFRBI'GHER. PPLIOATION FILED Nov.z4,v19oe.

ca wAsHmar section view of a Cfr ERNST KRAHNSTVER, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

FABRIC-STRETCHER,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented .rime 9, 190e.

Application filed November 24, 1906. Serial No. 344,827.

To a-ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERNST KRAHNsTvER, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fabric- Stretchers; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear7 and exact description thereof. f

The invention consists in what is herein shown, described and claimed 5 its object being `to provide simple, economical and efficient stretchers for cle'aned curtains, carpets and other textile fabrics, said stretchers being especially designed for professional cleaning establishments.

-Figure l of the accompanying drawings represents a plan view of a stretcher` in accordance with my invention having a longitudinal pin-bar thereof partly broken away; Fig. 2, a vertical transverse sectional View of the stretcher, indicated by lines 2-2 in Fig. l, and Fi 3, a vertical longitudinal fragment of said stretcher indicated by lines 3-*3 in said Fig. l.

Referring by letter to the drawings, A indicates each of the side rails, and B each of the end rails of a preferably rectangular frame, that may be mounted on casters, if desirable, to facilitate moving the same from place to place in a cleaning establishment. At suitable intervals longitudinally of the frame, the same is provided with transverse braces C fastened at their ends to the siderails of said frame.

Fast on the frame parallel to one of the side-rails thereof and over the same is a partly beveled bar D having its bevel portion provided with a series of u wardly projecting pins b at suitable regidar intervals apart, and supported on the end rails and intermediate braces of said frame is a pinbar E similar to the one D aforesaid. The pin-bar E is free to slide on said end rails and braces of the aforesaid frame. ln snitw able rigid connection with the pin-bar E to depend therefrom are brackets each of which has lugs c engaged by horizontal guides d in connection with the frame-braces C, and each bracket has its lower end in the form of a nut-sleeve e engaged by a screw-spindle F for which a bcaring-hangerjl is provided in connection with the guides aforesaid, the two spindles shown being miter-geared to a shaft G supported in bearings g depending from braces C to which they are secured.

Shown on the outer end of the shaft G is a crank H common to said shaft and other shafts hereinafter described, the outer end of each shaft being squared to engage a corresponding socket in the crank.

In sliding support on the upper horizontal portions of the pin-bars D, E, clear of the pins projecting from the bevel portions of said bars, are similar bars l, J, although one of these transverse pin-bars may be station ary if desirable. The bars I, J, as herein shown are each provided with depending brackets, similar to those aforesaid in connection with the pinbar E, and the grooved lugs c of these brackets are engaged by guides d attached to the side rails of the frame aforesaid and to stringers K in said frame between the end rails and transverse braces of the same. The nut-sleeve terminals e of the brackets having the lugs c are engaged by screw-spindles L and bearinghangers f for these spindles are provided in connection With the guides d aforesaid. The spindles L are miter-gearedin pairs to shafts M for-.Which hangers are provided in connection with side rails and stringers of the frame above specified.

` In practice, the fabric to be stretched and dried is caught at the longitudinal edges thereof on the pins of the bars D, E, the latter bar having been suitably adjusted as a result of turning the shaft G in the proper direction. The fabric having been caught on the pin-bars D, E, rotary motion is again irnparted to the shaft G to take up slack and properly stretch said fabric, the adjustment of the pin-bar E to this end being determined by the sag and strength of the aforesaid fabric. The ends of the fabric are now caught on the pins of the bars l, J, one' or both of these bars having been suitably adjusted by turning of the relative shaft or shafts M in the proper' direction. The stretcher and fabric therewith may be placed in a dry room to hasten the drying of said fabric, it being understood that this fabric is stretched in a moist condition, and that my invention is particularly applicable as a stretcher for lace curtains and the like reliminary to drying the same after being c eaned.

I claim:

l. A fabric-stretcher comprising an angular frame provided with braces and stringers, a pair of partly beveled pin-studded bars on the frame, another pair of similar bars crossing those aforesaid clear of the beveled pinstudded portions of same, guides in connection with frame-braces, nut-sleeve brackets depending from an under pin-bar in sliding engagement with the guides, screw-spindles engaging the sleeves of the brackets, a crankfspindle in gear with those aforesaid, other guides in connection with a side-rail and stringers of the frame, brackets similar to those aforesaid in sliding engagement with the latter guides and suspended from an upper pin-bar, screw-spindles engaging the nutsleeves of the latter brackets, and a crankspindle in gear with the latter screw-spindles.

2. A fabric-stretcher comprising an angular frame provided with braces and stringers, a pair of partly beveled pin-studded bars on the frame, another pair of similar bars crossing those aforesaid clear of the beveled pinstudded portions of same, guides in connection with frame-braces, nut-sleeve brackets depending from an under pin-bar in sliding engagement with the guides, screw-spindles 'engaging the sleeves of the brackets, a crank spindle in gear with those aforesaid, other guides in connection with side rails and stringers of the frame, brackets similar to those aforesaid in sliding engagement with the latter' guides and suspended from the upper in-bars, screw-spindles engaging the nut-s eeves of the latter brackets, and crankslpindles in gear with the latter screw-spinc es.

In testimony7 that claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand at Milwaukee in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin in the presence of two witnesses.

ERNST KRAHNSTOVER.

Vitnesses:

ALBERT FROEDE, JULrUs BoDENs'rALE. 

